Heart doctor runs his daily commute

Dr. Steven Bolling sets an example for patients by running to work everyday

Steven Bolling, M.D., a heart surgeon at the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center, who like the rest of us tries to fit in some daily exercise — has been running to work every day for the past 30 years. It’s physical activity and it’s stress relief for the 60-year-old who fixes faulty heart valves.

He’s one of the busiest mitral valve surgeons in the country, helping patients whose hearts are forced to work harder when their mitral valve isn’t working properly. The operations take three to four hours and he usually does two cases a day.

Before hitting the road for his 6-mile run, he shared a few thoughts about his routine:

Athletic as a kid

As a kid I was a swimmer. When I pulled myself out of the pool I figured I’d better do something to stay active so I started running. I’ve basically run every day since then: college, medical school, residency and now that I’m on the faculty (as a professor of cardiac surgery).

My Zen moment

My motivation to go to work running is basically that it’s my Zen moment. I really take that time out and that’s when I think about stuff.

Practice what I preach

Some of my patients know that I run to work every day and they think it’s fascinating. They think it’s great that I’m getting in cardio every day. To practice what you preach is a good philosophy. I don’t know that running to work every day is practical for everyone, but doctors really should be examples for our patients.

Steven Bolling, M.D., is the medical director of the U-M Mitral Valve Clinic. After earning a medical degree at the University of Michigan Medical School, he completed his surgical residency and cardiothoracic surgery training at Johns Hopkins. At the U-M, he leads cardio-protective lab research and tests minimally invasive strategies for treating mitral valve disease and tricuspid valve replacement.

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